SoT Presents: Steve Gillis

We hear enough criticism of blogs and how they are somehow reducing things to their lowest common denominator.  Perhaps some of the criticism is justified.  But I only have to go as far as the stack of books sitting next to me as I type this to demonstrate, at least to myself, what is right about litblogs.  I daresay that at least a dozen of the twenty or so books that I've read this year have been the direct result of recommendations I've received not by way of the book review section but through a mention or review on one of the many litblogs that I read daily.  More specifically, if it weren't for the litblogs, there's a better than good chance that I would never have read Steve Gillis's Temporary People, a book that I'm sure will be a strong contender for my favorite book of the year.

I tell you that as way of an introduction to today's special guest.  I was introduced to Steve Gillis last year by none other than his partner at Dzanc Books, Dan Wickett.  While putting together the 2006 Underrated Writers list, Dan sent me an email aside to say that even though he wanted to include Steve as one of his nominees he felt that he couldn't because of their working relationship.  Dan made sure that I received a copy of Gillis's story collection, Giraffes,  and I became an instant fan.  That's why when Dan blogged about Steve's new novel several months ago I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Temporary People is a fable of sorts.  It's the story of a floating island country, Bamerita, which is ruled over by Teddy, a failed television actor turned dictator who has converted the island into his own movie set. Or as the novel's narrator, Andre, puts it.  "Our suspicion had long been that Teddy was more interested in blurring the lines of reality than finishing a film, that he was looking for a way to present all acts of violence as make believe, and in so doing, confuse what was and wasn't part of our normal daily life."  The citizen/actors live in constant fear because "Teddy’s impatient with people who disappoint him. Those found deficient are removed from the film and rarely heard from again."  Against all of this, Andre, who after many years and many a battle and through numerous revolutions, finds himself in the middle of the charge to overthrow Teddy.  The problem for Andre is how to do this and remain true to his non-violent ways, especially with the pressure put on him by his fellow revolutionaries who want to see an end sooner rather than later, whether it ends in blood or not.

Gillis masterfully handles this fable-thriller, and while one can easily pick out some rather contemporary themes scattered throughout the book, it never becomes too overbearing, too obvious, or too polemic.

Again, I'm excited to have Steve take over Syntax of Things for a day.  The only guideline I gave him was that he should write about whatever he wants to write about, so with that, as Dan Wickett would say, "Enjoy!"